


Catch a Falling Star

by wonder_kya



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Fluff, Friendship, Galaxy Garrison, Keith (Voltron)-centric, M/M, Pilot Keith (Voltron), Pre-Kerberos Mission, Pre-Voltron: Legendary Defender, SHEITH - Freeform, Slow Burn, Stargazing, top pilot keith
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-17
Updated: 2018-08-17
Packaged: 2019-06-27 23:39:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 16,984
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15695721
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wonder_kya/pseuds/wonder_kya
Summary: Pre-Kerberos, Garrison days setting, AU. Keith loves looking up at the stars. He spent most of his childhood with his father, going out for a drive with maps and a telescope on their stargazing nights. His earliest memory was a voice telling him of the different constellations. So when he entered the Galaxy Garrison and found a stargazing buddy in Shiro, he also found a bond he never knew he was capable of forming with another person. Not when he learned at a very early age that he was destined to be alone all his life.





	Catch a Falling Star

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: At the time of writing this, the only canon thing about their Garrison days I had to go by was that Easter egg of Shiro bringing Keith along to the launch pad before the Kerberos Mission. In other words, please read this keeping in mind that apart from the things we already know up to season 5, everything else here is completely made up haha
> 
> Also, it hasn’t been explicitly stated if Matt knew Keith during their Garrison days… but with Pidge going “Who’s Keith?” in the first episode I’m guessing either no or they weren’t that close? But since I’m already being very liberal here, I’ll throw in their friendship too ^^ (I’m just going to go ahead and admit that after season 4, yes, I not so low-key ship them). Enjoy!

****

 

 

**Prologue**

 

With a couple more spins of the knob, he managed to angle the old telescope in the position he wanted. Pushing his dark fringe that had grown slightly longer to the side, he looked into the eyepiece to check. What he saw made him smile.

 

“This is perfect.”

 

He then disassembled the telescope, put all the parts back in their proper slots on its case, folded up the tattered picnic mat then shoved everything in his backpack. He got on his hoverbike and surveyed the place one last time. He looked pleased.

 

“Shiro’s gonna love this place. Can’t wait to show it to him when he comes back.” And he drove off.

 

☆

 

A few years ago…

 

A boy clad in red and white jacket over black cotton shirt, dark pants, and boots that matched the color of his jacket sat at the back of the bus, looking out the window. His chin was resting on one hand while the other passively lay on top of the duffel bag on his lap. Lively chatter filled the bus, with a particularly loud voice coming from a tanned boy at the front of the vehicle, telling tales of how proud his family was of him for getting into the elite Galaxy Garrison. Because his voice was so loud, everyone onboard practically knew his whole life history by now; how he had a big family, and how he maybe a cargo pilot for now but will do everything he can to move up to the course everyone longed for- fighter class pilot.

 

The young mullet-haired lad thought back on just a few days ago.

 

_A teacher pulled him out during one of his advanced physics classes and brought him to a part of the school he had never been to. While waiting to be called inside, he sat on the tattered and stained couch adjacent to a wooden door with a bronze plaque that read Principal’s Office in faded letters. Staring at the cream-colored paint chipping off the walls, he wondered why he was there._

_He was sure he didn’t do anything wrong, so what was it then? Tuition fees? No. The home he grew up in said he was offered a full scholarship. He was even admitted as gifted student. So why…_

_Before he could ponder any longer, the door creaked open and the school principal ushered him in._

_“Hey there, Keith. I’ve got great news for you.”_

_He had grey hair and a receding hairline. Beaming, and blue eyes visibly glistening behind his round spectacles, he handed Keith an envelope containing a piece of paper that would change the child’s life forever- a letter of admittance to one of the top intergalactic exploration schools not just in the country but in the whole world. The Galaxy Garrison._

_“Your dream of becoming a pilot is about to come true!”_

 

“Whoa…”

 

The entire bus exclaimed collectively, pulling him out of his flashback. When he noticed everyone looking out the window wide-eyed, he looked outside as well. After hours of driving through nothing but desert and endless rocky terrain, a huge, modern-looking military base finally came into view. Keith noted that the bus driver had to go through not just one but a series of security checks before they were finally granted entry. They headed for the towering main building housing the command bridge and a rooftop field of solar panels powering the entire facility.

 

The driver pulled up in front of the main entrance and announced over the intercom that they have arrived at their destination. Everyone excitedly got up, gathered their belongings, and got off the bus, Keith tailing behind since he was at the very last seat. The officer waiting for them, a plump lady with a kind face, wore a grey uniform with black trimming on the collar and orange folded cuffs. A golden, wing-shaped shoulder piece where epaulets would usually be completed the outfit, providing a pleasing contrast to the otherwise dreary ensemble. She scanned her ID, prompting the light above the automatic sliding doors to flash green. She then ushered them all to come inside. She led them to an audiovisual room with a large silver screen in front and motioned for them to sit on the black cushioned seats in the front-row. An introductory video about the Galaxy Garrison played, followed by a recorded message from the Garrison director who was wearing a classy suit.

 

After the video finished playing, a tall, dark-skinned man went up to the podium. The lady officer saluted then stood beside him.

 

“Commander Iverson, sir, the new batch of cadets have arrived.”

 

“Line up!”

 

At the man’s words, the new arrivals immediately scurried into a single file.

 

“Welcome, cadets. This will be your new home for the next few years. Some of you will love it, others will hate it. So I’m telling you now that only the toughest among you will finish the training program. That’s if you live to see it.”

 

The taller- and wider- tanned boy sporting an orange bandana beside Keith gulped.

 

“You will all be in the same core courses in your first year in the Galaxy Garrison. Next year, you’ll be branching out on your specializations- engineers, comm specs, and pilots to name a few. Eventually, you’ll then be assigned to your own flying simulation teams. Officer Hys here will lead you to your dorms. Get as much rest as you can today, you’re gonna need it for tomorrow. And the rest of your stay.”

 

When Keith got to his room, he unpacked his things. He didn’t bring that many of his belongings- and being an orphan who spent the past few years in the system, he didn’t _own_ much anyway- but what he did have with him were things he considered beyond any price or value. He laid them all out on the bed. First, he pulled out a portable telescope that came with its own carrying case, then an old and tattered book with its pages already brown at the edges. The last item was a dagger with a piece of cloth wrapped around the base of the hilt, its crest concealed. The rest of the contents were just extra clothes and other basic necessities.

 

☆

 

“Thank goodness the cadet uniforms look so much cooler!”, a red-haired girl said to another girl with blond hair tied in a tight bun as Keith passed by them in the hallway while looking for his lecture room. Before going to bed last night, he had double-checked the timetable emailed to their Garrison tablets.

 

7:00 – 8:00 Space Vehicle – Parts and Operation Year 1

8:10 – 9:10 International Languages and Public Speaking

9:20 – 10:20 First Aid Training

10:30 – 11:30 Self Defense

11:40 – 12:40 Microgravity Year 1

 

13:40 – 14:40 Weapons – Close Combat and Long Range

14:50 – 15:50 Principles of Neutral Buoyancy

16:00 – 17:00 Precision Air-Bearing Year 1

 

While Keith couldn’t wait to get all the basics over with and start flying his first spacecraft, he also dreaded the subject he was, without a doubt, going to fail- Public Speaking. He wondered if it was possible to flunk out of the Galaxy Garrison for sucking at speeches. Ignoring the terrifying premonition, he made his way to his first lecture.

 

“Wow, Lance, you’re training to become a pilot?!” Asked a group of girls huddled around a lanky tanned boy, whose voice Keith recognized as the loudest one on the bus the day before.

 

“Yup!”

 

“Whoa, dude! That’s wicked! Are you the fighter class pilot?!” This time the one who spoke was a big guy with an orange bandana, who went on to say “I heard out of 16,000 applicants every year only a couple hundred are actually considered. And only a quarter of them get admitted into the Garrison! And that’s still divided into cargo and fighter class pilots. But ever since they officially announced that Kerberos missions are in the works, fighter class pilot requirements got super crazy! And I heard that this year… only one cadet made it.”

 

“I’m a cargo pilot… for now! Watch me, I’ll definitely move up to fighter-class next year! And if not next year, then the next! I won’t stop trying.”

 

“Whaaat? So you’re not fighter class?” One of the girls whined, looking disappointed. “So then who…”

 

“To your seats, donkeys!” Iverson bellowed as he walked into the classroom.

 

Keith hurriedly scanned for a vacant spot and settled down. He ended up at the front seats where no one sat. This was, after all, Iverson’s class. He could hear a couple of cadets behind him whining why he had to be their first lesson for the day, while another argued might as well get it over with early in the morning.

 

“Now let’s see if you’re serious about this. We mean business here in the Galaxy Garrison and I expect you lot to have done at least a bit of advanced reading.”

 

He scanned the room and fixed his eyes on the cadets seated at the back. Seeing most of them stiffen, Iverson smirked.

 

“You there, Mr. Bandana. What’s your name and why are you here?”

 

“Sir!” the boy stood up. “Hunk Garrett, sir. Training to become an engineer, sir!”

 

“All right, then. Lemme see if you at least know the basics. First of all, how are space shuttles launched?”

 

“Sir! In order to bring the shuttle to orbit we need four main components. The external fuel tank, solid rocket boosters also known as SRBs, main engines, and the orbital maneuvering system. The SRBs are made up of a solid rocket motor, a solid propellant, thrust control systems, recovery systems, explosive charges, flight instruments, and of course the self destruct mechanism. Since the SRBs are soli…”

 

“Okay you can stop there. Sit down.”

 

“…Oh. I mean, Sir!”, he sat down.

 

“You there, lanky boy. Name and what you’re training for.”

 

“Sir!” The cargo pilot trainee talking to the female cadets earlier stood up. “Lance McClain, sir. Currently cargo pilot, but aspiring to become fighter pilot.”

 

“Cargo, huh.” Iverson replied, blatantly ignoring the latter part of the Lance’s introduction. “What was a payload bay and-”

 

“Sir! The area inside a space shuttle where cargo was loaded into!” Lance sighed, relieved he got a question he knew the answer to.

 

“You didn’t let me finish, cadet. What was the typical capacity?”

 

“Oh crap…” Lance murmured, then continued with a shrug. “I dunno… It had the capacity to carry cargo? Sir?”

 

The class broke into snicker.

 

“Sit down, you stupid monkey. You give cargo pilots a bad name. If you can’t do better than that, might as well pack your bags and go home. Clearly, your mother didn’t teach you the importance of education.”

 

Lance looked offended and opened his mouth, looking like he was about to say something, but ended up closing it, keeping his head down as he sat. The class broke into a wave of indignant murmurs. Granted, Lance was a class clown, but Keith could already tell the guy was well liked by their batch mates.

 

 _‘That was below the belt’_ , Keith thought as he glared at Iverson.

 

“What’s your problem, squirt? You got something to say?”

 

There were a lot of colorful words running through Keith’s mind, but he chose not to say any of them.

 

“Stand up. I guess there’s no need to ask for your name. You’re the mullet kid causing all the hype in the instructors’ lounge. Fighter-class pilot my ass.”

 

The classroom fell silent, and Keith could feel that all eyes were now on him.

 

“I’ll have you know that a celebrity status won’t instantly make you the apple of my eye. Being a star won’t get you anywhere when you fly out in space, kid.”

 

Iverson turned to the video projector to switch it on. He was about to turn off the lights when he heard Keith’s soft voice.

 

“… It will, sir.”

 

“I beg your pardon?” He narrowed his eyes at the Keith, who didn’t even blink.

 

“Stars make up constellations. Flying out in space won’t change how constellations look like no matter where you are in our solar system. So stars can be your guiding light- they can point you to where you want to go, as well as guide you back home.”  

 

Iverson paused, opened and closed his mouth a few times, then settled for a huff.

 

“Don’t get smart with me, squirt. Sit down,” he snarled, cheeks turning red.

 

“Eyes on the board!” He hollered to the rest of the class then switched off the lights.

 

☆

 

Thanks to Iverson announcing he was the mysterious fighter-class pilot cadet, over the next few days Keith spent whatever spare time he could get hiding from the rest of his batch mates. He didn’t really have a problem with them asking questions, but it started getting uncomfortable when they got into the more private matters. Like his family.

 

He wasn’t by any means trying to conceal the fact that he was an orphan, that his only memory of his parents was a father who would take him out to the desert for regular stargazing trips. But he wasn’t exactly ready to share with everyone that he never knew who his mother was nor why she left him either.

 

But because of this, the attention didn’t just quickly die down. It also led his classmates to think he was aloof, antisocial, or worse… an elitist who thought of himself as too good for them common folk. The only one who really still bothered to talk to him was his self-proclaimed rival- the chatty cargo pilot.

 

Said cargo pilot pulled up the chair to his right and sat beside him one morning during an unexpected self study period, because the officer who was supposed to give their lecture on basic Russian called in sick.

 

“Hey, Keith. Wanna pair up with me for the practical demos later for self defense class? I wanna show you my new moves.”

 

“Uh… sure.” Keith shrugged. He figured no one else was going to ask him anyway.

 

“Sweet! Now I can prove to those ladies that I so totally stand a chance against ya in close combat. See ya later!” He made a little gun pose using his index and middle fingers then pointed them at Keith, winking at him, before he walked back to his friends.

 

Keith’s gaze followed his retreating back, eyes drooping.

 

 “Wait… What was his name again?”

 

☆

 

 _‘Crap, crap, crap…’_ Keith inwardly cursed, as he dashed back to his dorm at full speed. Stupid brain had to wait until self study period was over to remember he forgot the first aid box they were given at the start of the term. Today, of all days, when they actually needed to use it in class!

 

He roughly tapped his ID card in front of the silver panel beside the door and dashed in but instantly froze. His bed was all messed up and his other school materials were strewn all over the floor. A quick visual check confirmed his telescope case and old story book were there, however, he felt like a bucket of ice cold water was poured on him when he realized his dagger was missing.

 

He clenched his fists, his breathing hastening. He told himself it was not the time to panic. He had to think. It didn’t matter who took it. What he needed to know was where it was.

 

He ran all over the garrison, ignoring the bell that signaled the beginning of the next class, and even forgetting the very reason he went back to his dormitory in the first place. He ran through the corridors, past the instructors’ lounge where an officer yelled at him.

 

“Hey! No running in the hallways!”

 

He came to a dead end when he reached all the way to the top floor where cadets in their final year were. And as if on cue, another bell rang. He lost count of how many bells- and classes- have passed, but cadets slowly coming out of the lecture rooms talking about the cafeteria’s menu for the day clued him in that it was already lunch time.

 

_‘No… It’s got to be somewhere… If I don’t find it…’_

 

He was on the verge of punching the wall when he heard a voice from inside one of the rooms.

 

“Hey, Shiro! You’re bringing those to the dumpster, right? Mind taking this as well?”

 

“Sure!” replied a warm and friendly voice.

 

Realizing there was one more place he hadn’t checked yet, Keith bolted for the dumpsters as fast as he could. He remembered reading that garbage was collected weekly and brought to the incinerators. Pushing himself to keep running, he hoped with all his might that today wasn’t that day.

 

☆

 

“Whoa! Careful there!” A bright-faced, brown-haired cadet wearing big round glasses stepped aside just in time when a shorter boy dashed past him.

 

“Hey, Matt!”

 

“Hey Shiro!” Matt greeted the Japanese boy carrying a small garbage can out of the classroom.     

 

“What’s a first year doing up here?” Shiro wondered out loud, gaze following the small boy running as if he was being chased by a cheetah until he was no longer in sight.

 

“Who knows, maybe he has an older brother here too?” Matt shrugged. “So have you handed in your application for the Kerberos Mission already? They said they’ll be screening applicants as early as this year.”

 

“Way ahead of ya.” Shiro grinned. “Piloting has been my lifelong dream, after all.”

 

“Of course, how can I forget.” Matt rolled his eyes. “That French pilot is your personal idol. What was his name again? Jean-something… Anyway, go do that first.” Matt pointed to the dust box in Shiro’s arms. “I’ll see ya at the cafeteria in a bit!”

 

“Yeah, wouldn’t want to miss out on the ‘exciting’ menu today. I heard it’s the usual cold sandwich.” Shiro said wryly before walking along.

 

“Ugh… mom was right. I should’ve learned how to cook.” Matt hung his head low, dejected.

 

When Shiro made it to the dumpsters, he saw three large boys were surrounding a much smaller cadet. Shiro frowned, this kind of scene was far too telling. Figuring out what was going on was no rocket science. Shiro recognized the shorter boy as the same one who almost bumped into Matt earlier.

 

_‘Seriously, guys? How can you pick on such a tiny kid?’_

 

He snapped out of his thoughts when one of them grabbed the younger cadet’s collar, his hands the size of the poor boy’s face.

 

“Looks like you found what you were looking for, shorty. That oughtta teach ya a lesson not to look down on us again.” 

 

The bigger guy raised his fist, prompting Shiro to immediately drop the trash bin, scattering some of the crumpled papers in it to the ground.

 

“Oh no you don’t. I gotcha, buddy.”

 

He dashed towards the group but stopped, frozen in place, when he saw the boy duck the punch, twist the much bigger boy’s arm behind him then pin him to the ground. The two other guys came charging wildly, but the kid kicked the guy on his left away before pushing himself off the body he was pinning on the ground and roundhouse-kicked the boy coming from the other side.

 

 “… Or not.” Shiro whistled.

    

Without looking back, the boy walked away from the scene. He was carrying something in his hands, which had become all greasy possibly from scouring through the dumpsters. He looked up and finally noticed Shiro, his surprised face was soon marred by a wary scowl.

 

Shiro took a step forward, but the other stepped back defensively, hiding the item behind him. Shiro couldn’t stop himself from smiling at him. He took out a plain white handkerchief from his pocket, eliciting a face that clearly said the shorter boy thought of him as some kind of strange creature. That did seem to make him drop his guard somewhat, so Shiro quickly took advantage of that and closed the distance between them. He then brought his handkerchief closer to the boy’s sullied face and wiped the black smudge on the tip of his tiny nose.

 

“There you go. Your nose is all nice and spotless now.”

 

The boy flinched at the contact, scrunching his face.

 

 _‘He looks like a hamster when he does that…’_ Shiro thought, chuckling.

 

As if he had come to a conclusion that Shiro wasn’t a threat, he wordlessly walked away. But he was still tightly clutching the mysterious item in his arms, as if keeping it off other people’s eyes.

 

Shiro put the handkerchief back in his pocket then proceeded to pick up the scattered crumpled paper back into the trash can. As he approached the dumpsters, he casually walked over the bullies lying down on the soil. Shiro didn’t glance at them as he spoke, his tone so different from the warm, friendly voice he often used.

 

“That oughtta teach you guys a lesson. Next time, pick on someone your own size.”

 

“He’ll pay for this…” The leader grunted.

 

When he finished dumping everything inside, he tapped the dust box twice against the edge of the dumpster before slamming the lid close, making the other boys jump. He nonchalantly stepped over them again, but before walking away he turned around and gave the boys a warning look.

 

“No he won’t. Don’t bother that cadet again. I’ve got my eyes on you.”

 

☆

 

Keith got back into his dorm and put his dagger away. Lunch break would soon be over, so he gave up on the thought of getting anything to eat and collected the materials and textbooks he needed. Before he could step out of his room, his name was called over the Garrison’s intercom and he was told to come to the staff room. Keith let out a sigh and dragged his feet, wondering if it would be his last day in the Garrison, as well as the end of his journey to becoming a pilot.

 

He stopped in front of the staff room, took a deep breath, and went in through the metal door that automatically slid open and close. Iverson gruffly motioned for him to come to his desk.

 

“Mind explaining why you played hooky? You’re new around here and you already think you can just breeze through your courses, boy?”

 

Keith kept his eyes down and remained quiet. Explaining what happened meant telling him about the dagger- his mother’s sole memento. If there was even the slightest chance that it would lead to it getting confiscated, then he wasn’t going to take that risk. He’d sooner lose his one-way ticket to his flying dreams than his most important possession.  

 

The faculty room door slid open once again, and this time, the one who came in was an older boy who Keith recognized as the one he saw at the dumpsters earlier. The weirdo with a white hanky, he absently thought.

 

“Commander Holt, sir.” He saluted. “Here are the additional documents you requested.”

 

“Good good.” The other officer, a middle-aged man with grey hair and rectangle-shaped spectacles hanging low on the bridge of his nose, nodded to Shiro with a kind smile. “With this, you have all the requirements you need. I’ll be going through the applications myself and announce the results once they’re out.”

 

“Sir!” The boy gave another salute.

 

“Well? I’m waiting for an explanation, cadet.”

 

Iverson’s voice pulled Keith’s attention back to him but he refused to talk. He was ready for the consequences. What he was not expecting, however, was the other boy coming to stand beside him and saluting to Iverson.

 

“Permission to speak, sir!”

 

“Whaddyou want, Shirogane? Can’t you see I’m busy here?”

 

“I was tossing out garbage when I stumbled on senior cadets causing trouble for him, sir. But this boy handled himself well.”

 

“I know that. Cadets who saw the incident reported already.” Iverson retorted dryly. “And you can rest assured they’ve been handed out their fitting punishments. The Garrison doesn’t take any kind of bullying lightly. But what was so important that you had to miss classes looking for it, squirt?”

 

Keith flinched but held his ground.

 

“My watch, sir.” Shiro answered for him.

 

Keith’s face jerked towards Shiro.

 

“What?” Iverson raished an eyebrow.

 

“My watch, sir. When I went to class I realized I wasn’t wearing it. Then I remembered I took out the trash from my dorm this morning when I went jogging, so I asked his help to look for it and I was right! We found it at the dumpster!”

 

With a disbelieving look, Iverson narrowed his eyes suspiciously on Shiro’s wrist, where his watch was. The officer huffed when he saw it. 

 

“You’re a strange one, Shirogane. Who still wears watches in this day and age?”

 

He then turned to face Keith.

 

“As for you, squirt. You’re going to meet me in the detention room after classes. You’re lucky to be getting away with just that.”

 

Keith kept his eyes on the floor, but his head shot up at Iverson’s next words.

 

“You too, Shirogane.”

 

“But he-!” Keith frantically spoke, however the rest of his words were cut off by the taller boy who touched his shoulder.

 

“will _gladly_ show him where the detention room is.” Shiro finished Keith’s sentence.

 

Iverson grunted.

 

“Get outta my sight.” He waved his hand outwards as if shooing dogs away.

 

They exited the staffroom and wordlessly walked through the corridors. A few steps later, they both stopped and simultaneously let out a sigh, heads dropping and holding on to the opposite steel walls for support.

 

“Man, that guy can be so scary sometimes…” The older boy laughed nervously.

 

“What were you thinking?!” Keith found himself talking louder and fiercer than he intended, but he didn’t have the strength to hold himself back. “You could’ve gotten yourself in trouble because of me!”

 

The other boy looked surprised, not expecting to get yelled at by someone younger. Especially not by someone he had just helped out.  

 

“I just… Oh crap, we gotta go.” Shiro said, looking down on his watch. “I’ll come by the first year floor later to pick you up. Gotta show you where the detention room is, after all.”

 

And they parted ways. When he reached the end of the hallway, the older boy called out to him. “Wait! What’s your name?”

 

“Keith”

 

“Gotcha. See ya later, Keith!”

 

He quickly waved and they both sprinted to their classrooms. Keith made it through the door just in time for the chime signaling the start of afternoon lectures. As he settled down on his seat, trying to catch his breath, he realized he forgot to thank the older cadet. But he quickly shrugged it off, this afternoon detention would probably the last time they will ever see each other again anyway.

 

☆

 

The detention room was just like all the other lecture rooms except it was half the size and situated right beside the faculty room. Iverson was already waiting inside for them with two sets of documents on the instructor’s table. He passed the first set to the older boy.

 

“Since you’ve already passed this, make me a hundred copies in the staff room. I need it by the end of the day.”

 

He held the second copy close to Keith’s face. It had the Galaxy Garrison’s logo on top, followed by a series of questions below.

 

“This here is a little test. I’d like to see just how bad you’re going to do on it. Hopefully that’ll teach you a lesson or two about taking your lessons more seriously.”

 

“Permission to speak, sir!”

 

“What is it again, Shirogane.” Iverson asked, sounding increasingly exasperated every time the other cadet spoke to him.

 

“Sir… This is the Garrison’s pilot licensing exam. He’s only a first year, cadets don’t take the written exam at least until their third year here. Maybe second year, under special circumstances.”

 

“Oh shut up, cadet. You’re allowed to take it more than once anyway. If he fails this one now, which he will, he has another chance to take it again later on.”

 

“But it will appear on his record, sir. I just think this isn’t fair.”

 

The older boy didn’t back down, and Keith just couldn’t wrap his head around why a stranger would stand up for him like this. Grimacing, he roughly took the stapled papers from Iverson’s grasp and sat down. With his chin resting on one hand, he began going through the questions then circled his answers.

 

“You have 90 minutes, squirt.”

 

Even without looking, he could almost hear the menacing look plastered on the officer’s face. Shoulders slumped, the older boy quietly exited the room to do what Iverson told him to.

 

By the time Keith finished, it was already sunset. He was walking down the metal corridors painted in an orange hue when he felt a hand on his shoulder, making him flinch.

 

“Hey, Keith.”

 

Keith turn around with a scowl.

 

“Why do you keep speaking up for me? We’re not friends. We don’t even know each other!”

 

The taller boy’s short dark hair looked softer under the sun’s rays and his entire profile was wrapped with the dusk’s soft glow. It somehow reminded Keith of his dad, whose broad back he vividly remembered. His old man was always looking out the window of his childhood home- a small shack in the desert- as if waiting for someone.

 

_‘After mom left he promised me he’ll never leave. And yet he still did. Stupid dad.’_

 

“Then… Let’s become friends!” The boy extended a hand to him, snapping Keith out of his memories.

 

“Wha… Are you even listening to me?”

 

“Yeah. You’re upset because I care about you even though we’re not friends. So let’s become friends then. That way, I can care about you as much as I want. How about that?”

 

“You’re crazy.” Keith sighed, shaking his head as he turned away.

 

“Shiro.”

 

“What?” Keith looked back, eyes drooping.

 

“My name’s not crazy. It’s Shiro.”

 

‘Shiro’ said with a goofy smile, his hand still outstretched between them.

 

“Friends?”

 

Keith knew how to recognize losing battles, so he turned around to properly face the older boy once again. He walked closer and shook Shiro’s hand with a rueful smile.

 

“Friends.”

 

☆

 

Keith went to the shower rooms in high spirits that night, happy that he finally made a friend- the first and possibly only one- in the Garrison.  

 

However, he couldn’t shake the nagging feeling that someone’s eyes had been following him ever since he got to his afternoon lectures, the feeling intensifying during dinner. But after everything that happened that day, he tried not to let it bother him. All he wanted now was to take a shower and get a good night’s rest.

 

He liked showering just right before bed. Not only did it relax him, only a few cadets were down there at that time of the day so he could take his time. He got into the changing area and took off his clothes when the nagging feeling came back. He looked around and saw only one other person there- the loud cargo pilot.

 

He was glaring at him, with an angry face that looked really odd on him with a towel wrapped around his head. He roughly took his clothes, slammed the locker door shut and stomped away. Two seconds later he rushed back in to take a bottle of shampoo he forgot inside.

 

_‘What’s up with that guy…?’_

 

Keith shrugged, neatly folded his clothes before locking them in and walking into one of the shower stalls. He reached for the knob but just right before turning it, he remembered the conversation he had with the other boy earlier that day.

 

_‘Oh. Sh-’_

 

He went back out, hastily put on his boxers and ran after him.

 

“Hey!” Keith called out as soon as he saw him. The boy grumpily looked back.

“What?”

 

“Sorry about this morning. I… I forgot. About the practical demos.”

 

As expected, he seemed disappointed with the explanation. To him, it probably sounded like a lame excuse.

 

“Whatever” He turned away. “It’s not like you’re working hard to become a fighter class pilot. Oh, my bad, forgot you already _are_ in the right program.” He continued without looking back.

 

“Wha- It’s not like that. I…” Keith’s voice trailed off, seeing the usually loud boy looking so let down and knowing he was the cause of it. He simply watched as the boy’s retreating back became farther away, not knowing what to say.

 

☆

 

Keith kept rolling on his bed, frustration boiling within him. Normally he would be out like a light as soon as he lay down but he was too upset to fall asleep, even if he didn’t want to admit it. At times like this, there was only one thing that could calm him down. He rose from his bed, took his portable telescope’s carrying case, and snuck out of the dormitories. He knew where he needed to go.

 

Keith was thankful it was a Friday night, which meant a lot of both cadets and instructors headed to town and were probably partying there all night. That made sneaking out into the main building’s rooftop that much easier. But just to be safe, he made sure to stay hidden in the shade of the solar panels. After checking the coast was clear, he ran towards the edge where he could get the best view.

 

Heart still thumping, he sat down, letting out a sigh.

 

“Hey.”

 

He jerked when he heard a voice to his left, almost dropping his telescope, which he firmly held just in time.

 

“Looks like someone else found my hideout. Did you rat me out, Katie?”

 

“How would I do that? I haven’t even enrolled at the Galaxy Garrison yet, stupid. And stop bothering me, I’m busy. See ya!” The video call ended and the indignant voice coming from the monitor disappeared in tandem.

 

The bespectacled boy on the rooftop had short brown hair, its tips flying away from his bright face. There was a moment of awkward silence- the stranger’s gaze shifting back and forth between his computer and Keith, fingers tapping on the rooftop’s cold steel floor. He scooted over to close the distance between them then stiffly shot his right hand towards Keith, grinning widely. 

 

“Matt Holt!”

 

Keith blinked twice and gently laid the carrying case beside him to free up his hands. He then reached out and cautiously shook Matt’s hand.

       

“Keith…” He retrieved his hand and sat down, hugging his knees as he pouted.

 

_‘There goes my plans of doing some stargazing tonight…’_

 

“…”

 

“…”

 

The boy broke the heavy silence by pointing at his carrying case. This was how Keith learned Matt Holt was a very curious creature.

 

“What’s that?”

 

“It’s a telescope”, he brought the case closer to Matt and unzipped it.

 

He opened the case, revealing all the parts in their proper slots inside. Keith took them out one by one, feeling slightly better he could still look at the stars, although not by himself as he had hoped. Resigned to not having any ‘alone time’ for the rest of the night, he got to work. When he was done, he heard Matt exclaim.

 

“Wow…”

 

Keith looked at him oddly, so Matt explained.

 

“Have you looked at the parts, Keith? This looks like one set at a glance, but if you take a closer look, everything is actually mismatched!”

 

Keith couldn’t understand why he was saying that like it was an amazing thing. Was mismatched a good thing…? Chuckling at Keith’s confused face, Matt continued.

 

“It means everything has been altered. No, more like, customized! See this dew shield here? It doesn’t match the color of the main tube. And if you look at the makers’ names engraved on it, one is German while the other is Japanese. And this cradle and finder scope are also silver, not really black, it’s from a company that no longer sells telescopes, they went under decades ago due to financial problems- but are still known as the best in the world! Also this eye piece…”

 

Matt kept on going about azimuths and altitudes, making Keith smile. He felt so happy to finally meet someone who was genuinely interested in his father’s keepsake- a present he got from him on his last birthday that they were able to celebrate together. His chest grew warm at the words Matt said to finish his explanation.

 

“Wow, Keith… The one who gave it to you must have loved you so much to put so much work into it.”

 

Matt was looking at him expectantly. Keith could almost see imaginary puppy ears on Matt’s head, complete with a tail wagging in excitement. He has never allowed anyone else touch his telescope before, but considered letting Matt be the first.  

 

“And they took your height into account as well. Look, even the tripod has been modified!”

 

Keith’s smile faded and he promptly scowled.

 

“Oh yeah? I guess that’s too bad then. I was going to let you try it, but since it’s designed for _short_ people like me, that means you can’t use it.”

 

Keith huffed.

 

“Aw, come on, Keith?” Matt kept staring at him and Keith tried to resist but he couldn't stay upset for too long. Not when Matt sniffed, his eyes purposely wet. “I’ll kneel if I have to? Please?”

 

“No, you don’t have to go that far. Geez. Okay, sure have a look.”

 

Even after adjusting the tripod to its highest, Matt still had to slightly bend his knees to look into the eyepiece.

 

“Wow… This is amazing. It really makes a huge difference when you know your stuff. This is way better than the telescopes we have here in the Garrison!”

 

Keith crouched down and made imaginary circles on the floor, pouting. He didn’t want to be the bad guy. Matt ruffled his hair and smiled teasingly.

 

“Oh, I didn’t mean to beg. I meant to kneel so I’ll be _short enough to look_.”

 

He slapped Matt’s hand away, which only elicited hearty laughter from the older boy. They spent the rest of the night looking at constellations and talking about them. When Keith yawned, Matt told him it was time to go to bed and packed his computer away, bragging about his little sister who built it for him. Matt seemed to sense Keith’s loneliness and simply smiled at him.

 

“Hey Keith, let’s meet up here again tomorrow. I’ll bring my friend along. You’re gonna love him. He can keep going on forever about celestial bodies. I can totally see you guys hitting it off.”

 

Keith was excited at the thought of meeting another person he could talk to about astronomy. He couldn’t wait to meet Matt’s friend. That night, he dreamt about stars and the gentle voice of a woman telling him about constellations and reading to him his favorite book. In the dream, he was the little alien prince walking towards a crash site in the desert, where he met the human pilot for the first time.

 

☆

 

On Saturday mornings, they only had team building exercises to strengthen teamwork. After all, once they get deployed out on a space mission, they will be stuck with their teammates for months, maybe even years. So even before getting assigned to their permanent teams, they needed to know how to socialize. After that, they had the rest of the day as well as Sundays off.

 

Keith was sitting in the cafeteria, a tray of mashed potatoes, string beans, steak and gravy sitting half eaten as he absently sipped on a pack of orange juice. He was reading an old book- pages tattered and browned at the edges. On the cover was the drawing of a little boy with golden locks holding a sword, standing on a tiny planet that was just about twice his size as he looked at the moon and the stars and the planets around him.

 

“ _The Little Prince_ by Antoine de Saint-Exupery, eh?”

 

Buried deep into the book, Keith was brought back to reality by a familiar friendly voice. He put the book down but continued to sip on his drink, eyes drooping a bit grumpily from being disturbed. Oblivious, Shiro pulled the chair beside him and put his own lunch tray down before sitting.

  

“I’ve read that story so many times”, he turned the cap to break the seal on his bottled sports drink, then continued. “The author is my hero. He’s also the reason I wanted to become a pilot.”

 

“He was a pilot…?” Keith’s eyes widened.

 

Shiro then told him all about the story of the author’s life. Keith hadn’t known that the one who wrote his favorite book was a pilot. His love of stars and planets and his thirst to know more about the universe made the story close to home. But now, thanks to Shiro, it had become all the more dear to him.

 

His thoughts must have shown on his face, because the next moment, Shiro was staring at him. When Keith looked his way, Shiro’s gaze softened then his face lit up into a gentle smile. Suddenly turning blank on what to do or what to say, Keith focused back on his food and finished his meal.

 

☆

 

“Shiro?” / “Keith?”

 

They said it at the same time.

 

“Shiro, meet Keith. Keith, meet Shiro… is what I wanted to say, but, I take it you guys already know each other?” Matt shrugged.

 

When Matt had promised to introduce him to his star-loving friend, Keith wasn't expecting to see the ‘crazy’ guy- his first friend.

 

“So then, mind telling me how that happened?”

 

As Keith worked on setting up his telescope, Shiro told Matt the story of their fated meeting by the dumpsters. He mentally thanked Shiro for the ‘watch version’ of the story, but he also mentally apologized seeing how uncomfortable Shiro looked not telling his friend the actual reason. Granted, Shiro also never knew, since Keith had not told him about it. The older boy also knew Matt better, which meant he understood as much as Keith did that when Matthew Holt needed answers, he got them with a hundred percent probability.

 

It was Matt’s turn to tell Shiro of- in his own words- their ‘destined meeting under the stars’. Keith snorted. While everyone knew Matt was a genius, he highly doubted anyone besides Shiro and Matt’s younger sister- and now himself- knew he was such a dork. A _dramatic_ dork.

 

Keith finished assembling the telescope and Matt, who brought out his laptop, whispered with a triumphant smirk, “I brought the goods.”

 

With an evil little chuckle, he pulled out juice packs, chocolates, and what he called the ‘stars of the night (no pun intended)’ - bags upon bags of potato chips. There were all sorts of flavors- plain, barbecue, sour cream, Jalapeño cheddar, and… seaweed salt?! What the heck was that?

 

Seeing Keith’s face, Matt laughed.

 

“Okay, then. Looks like it’s been decided which one we’re going to open first.”  

 

Surrounded by a colorful assortment of treats, they took turns looking at the telescope and spent the next few hours talking about stars, constellations, outer space, and even the possibility of extraterrestrial life.

 

 “What do you think, Keith? Do you think there are aliens out there?” Shiro asked, while they were lying down out on the Garrison’s rooftop, at the edge of the field of solar panels.

 

“I don’t doubt it.” Keith’s eyes were fixed on the tiny diamonds in the sky. “Our solar system’s sun is just one star, and there are countless others. It’s possible that there are just as many solar systems out there too.”

 

“Well said, my friend.” Matt nodded, sounding pleased. “Actually, for her science project, my sister is building a portable machine that could scan outer space for alien communication. And get this, its reach is not just within our solar system, but goes even beyond that! Isn’t she brilliant? Ohhh I hope she lets me try it when she’s done. She gets annoyed and hangs up every time I call her though.”

 

“I dunno, man. Maybe because she’s so busy _with her science project_ yet you keep bugging her?” Shiro replied unhelpfully, laughing.

 

 _‘Ah, that explains why she sounded pissed  last time. I would be too.’_ Keith shot a ‘you deserved that’ look at Matt.   

 

☆

 

That night was the first of many more Garrison rooftop meet ups, which Keith started looking forward to, especially since over the next few months their training had become increasingly more challenging. That, and their heavy schedule also added to the stress. In three months, some students had started dropping out. And in six months, only half of them were left.  But for Keith, the six-month mark was when he started to feel settled in. He was already getting used to his routine and feeling comfortable with all the tasks they had to do.

 

Matt mostly spent their rooftop nights typing away on his computer, while Shiro and Keith were happy to have found stargazing buddies in one another. It took only a week before they had each other’s favorite constellations memorized. Everything was smooth sailing for Keith until he got called over to the faculty room one day.

 

A petite lady whose dark hair was tied up in a high ponytail with some loose strands falling to the side of her face wearing dark-rimmed glasses was talking to Matt and Shiro. And the two, Keith noted, had the brightest smile he had ever seen on their faces. When the officer noticed Keith was already there, she beckoned him to come, looking ecstatic.

 

“Thank you for the feedback, boys. You’ve been very helpful. You can go now.” She told the two before letting them go and turning her attention to Keith. The two boys exchanged looks before they got up and headed for the door. “And no eavesdropping, you hear me Matt?”

 

“Yes ma’am!” Matt turned around, playfully saluted, then got out with Shiro, snickering.

 

Keith, in contrast, made a proper salute.

 

The polished bronze nameplate on her desk told Keith she was the Head Flight Instructor.

 

“At ease, cadet. The name’s Montgomery. I’ll be one of your flight instructors in your later years. Nice to meet you. Have a seat.”

 

She motioned to the chair where Shiro was sitting earlier. So Keith sat down. She brought out a piece of paper that had the Galaxy Garrison’s logo on top.

 

“Hey there, Keith. You see, the instructors and I have been debating over this for the past few months. And to be honest, we still haven’t come to a consensus. We’re going to bring this case to the attention of the Garrison director soon, and ask him to make the final decision. But we thought it was fair to at least let you know that this was happening.”

 

Keith felt a sinking feeling in his stomach. He didn’t like not knowing what was going on. And whatever this was, it was so serious it had to be escalated up to the highest person in the Garrison’s organizational structure.

 

“Congratulations, Keith! You’re the first person ever to obtain a Galaxy Garrison pilot license in his first year. You’re the youngest cadet who has officially become a pilot in… well… the history of the Garrison!”

 

Keith tilted his head to one side. He was aware the instructor was speaking the same language, but he couldn’t quite understand what she was saying. How was that possible? He had not even taken his exams ye…

 

_‘Oh.’_

 

He solved the mystery when he remembered what Shiro said during their detention. Then a smirk slowly made its way to his face when whatever Iverson was trying to do seems to have backfired.

 

 _‘In your face, Iverson’_ he snorted. It took everything he had to stop himself from snickering in front of his senior officer.

 

_‘Wait.’_

 

Keith could feel his heart pounding.

 

_‘Whoa… So I- I’m a pilot now. Does that mean I can finally…’_

He was afraid to finish that train of thought, thinking that if he did that would be the part where he’d wake up if this was just a dream.       

  

“But you see, the problem is, we can’t really let you fly a spacecraft yet. Because while you’ve passed the licensing exam, you still have to fulfill your required ground school hours here in the Galaxy Garrison.”

 

 _‘Aaand I woke up.’_ Keith thought dejectedly.

 

“Hmph. A mere fluke, that’s all it was.” Iverson grumbled from across the room. “I say we discard it and just let the kid take the exam with everyone else when it’s the proper time for him to do so.”

 

Keith’s high spirits just seconds ago sank. Trust Iverson to not just slap him awake, but crush his dreams altogether.

 

“Commander Iverson, we’ve talked about this before. The boy has an exceptional grasp of all the principles every pilot needs to learn. He has proven with his answers that he is more than capable of flying. The boy is a natural! It would be a complete waste of his time and talents to keep him stuck in beginner level lectures. You will only clip his wings!”

 

Keith was surprised to see Professor Montgomery speaking so passionately, making her earlier calm demeanor almost seem like a lie.

 

“No point granting him a license now if it’ll just be for showing off. And if it wasn’t pure luck, he shouldn’t have any problems passing the blasted exams no matter how many times he takes it.”

 

Feeling more and more uncomfortable about being the cause of an argument, Keith resigned himself to letting his pilot license slip away. He clenched his fists in frustration, and could feel his eyes starting to get moist. It was so close, yet so far away.

 

_‘Dammit…’_

 

All of a sudden, Matt stormed into the room, Shiro tailing behind.

 

“Permission to speak, sir!” Matt saluted to both officers.

 

“Go on” Professor Montgomery nodded.

 

“Since Keith can’t fly a real plane to complete the practical half of his exam, as he hasn’t fulfilled his required ground school hours yet, might I propose a suggestion to get him started on flying lessons?”

 

 “You just said yourself he ain’t allowed to fly yet, Mr. Genius” Iverson replied, voice laced with sarcasm.

 

“Sir! There’s a way to test his flying skills without letting him fly an actual- physical- aircraft.”

 

Professor Montgomery’s face brightened into a smile as she realized what Matt was trying to say.

 

“Of course! The simulator!” She exclaimed, voice laden with excitement.

 

“All right then. Let’s throw him into a simulator and see if he’s got what it takes. However,” Iverson narrowed his eyes menacingly. “If he fails, end of discussion.”

 

“Permission to speak, sir!”

 

This time, it was Shiro.

 

“We can’t let him fly alone. We always fly in teams. I’d like to volunteer as his flight partner, sir!”

 

“All right,” Then, as if he had come up with a brilliant idea, Iverson flashed an evil smirk. “Shirogane, I’ll only allow it under one condition. If he fails, you’ll be demoted to cargo pilot training.”

 

“Oh, come on, Iverson. For the love of… Shiro’s in his final year! You’re going to throw away all the hard work he has put into becoming a fighter class pilot just like that? You’re being unreasonable.” Professor Montgomery shook her head, giving Iverson a look of dismay.

 

“If he can’t stop his junior from failing at a simple simulation flight, what kind of pilot is he.” Iverson sat down, crossing his legs on top of his desk “Whaddya say, Shirogane. Still planning to stick your neck out for your little friend?”

 

 “I’ll do it.” Shiro answered without a moment of hesitation. “Astroexplorers always work together, there’s no such thing as a one man team. It always has to be the pilot, comm spec, and engineer.”

 

“No! He’s not doing it.” Keith objected.

 

“Quiet, Keith,” Shiro cut him off.

 

“Shiro, no! I can’t let you do this!”

 

“I said _quiet_ , Keith,” Shiro said, firmer and louder.

 

Tense silence filled the room, then Keith turned to Matt, eyes and tone both pleading. “Matt, _please_. He’s your friend. Talk him out of this.”

 

Matt smiled comfortingly at Keith then walked towards Shiro. Putting his elbow on his friend’s shoulder, he spoke.

 

“He’s going to need a communications specialist to complete the team. So count me in.” He finished his sentence with a goofy grin.

 

“It’s settled then.” Professor Montgomery said, sealing the deal with a single clap. “I’ll let the director know and inform you boys once the flight simulation test has been scheduled. You may go now.”

 

Keith couldn’t believe it. Why was someone willing to gamble his whole flying career for someone like him? It didn’t make any sense. Something… _Anything_ … He needed to find a way to stop this madness. And stop it before it was too late.

 

His train of thought was halted when he felt something on his shoulder. It was Shiro’s hand.

 

“I’m not going to leave you alone, Keith.”

 

At those words, Keith felt something within him snap. Clenching his fists harder, he ran out of the faculty room. He heard Shiro and Matt calling his name but he didn’t stop. He wanted to go as far away from them- from anyone- at the moment.

 

☆

 

_‘I’m not going to leave you alone, huh…’_

 

Even Shiro himself was surprised at the words that came out of his own mouth. But he meant every word. From the moment he saw Keith, he knew full well that the kid was more than capable of handling his own problems. Even those that were too big to tackle.

 

But that was precisely the problem. He would always try to do everything himself. At first, Shiro was just concerned a mentor. This kind of solo mentality was the exact opposite of the spirit of teamwork ingrained in every astroexplorer. If this young pilot wanted to fly out there, he needed to be able to trust his team.

 

But as the months passed and he started getting to know him through their talks of the stars and the universe, he saw a smart kid in there. A boy who was open-minded, had a thirst for knowledge, and even a sense of adventure. He was a diamond in the rough, and Shiro wanted to help polish him to bring out that brilliance. If only Keith would let him.

 

Seeing Keith’s reaction at his words, Shiro realized his work was cut out for him. Boy, did he have a long way to go.

 

“Damn, that kid sure is fast…” Matt huffed, struggling to keep up.

 

They ran after Keith, who bolted out of the instructors’ room upon hearing his bold declaration, but quickly lost sight of him in the hallway. He did a quick scan of the cadets chatting and loitering about in Garrison’s silver corridors after classes, but found no mullet.

 

“I wonder what happened…” Shiro mumbled

 

He glanced sideways at Matt who also had a puzzled look. Normally when you hear someone tell you they’ll be there for you, it makes you happy. But with the pained look on Keith’s eyes, as well as the shock written all over his face, there was something about what Shiro said that made him feel anything _but_ happy.

 

“I don’t know… But I think we both know where he’s going tonight.”

 

☆

 

“Told ya he’ll be here.” Matt whispered when they reached the rooftop that evening.

 

At their usual spot on the edge they found Keith, whose back looked even smaller sitting there hugging his knees. The two older cadets were stuck behind the field of solar panels, unsure of how to proceed. Shiro couldn’t remember ever being in a more difficult mission.

 

“So. What now?” Shiro asked, hoping Matt’s brain would deliver now more than ever.

 

“I… don’t know.”

 

Or not.

 

Throwing caution to the wind, Shiro steeled himself and took tentative steps until he was behind Keith. Keith flinched, he knew he was there. He didn’t even so much as turn around to acknowledge him, but Shiro was thankful that the younger boy didn’t stand up and leave either. If Keith ran away again, then he would be at another dead end.

 

“Hey, buddy…”

 

He cautiously walked around the boy who looked no bigger than an orange and white yoga ball in his curled up form, then knelt in front of him. Keith’s face was buried in his arms, and all Shiro could see was the hair sprouts on top of the mullet head- which looked more disarrayed than usual- until Keith finally looked up. Oh if looks could kill.

 

“Why…”

 

It started off with a whisper as he got up.

 

“Why did you do that…”

 

Shiro also got up. But the volume of his voice only escalated until it turned into a full out yell.

 

“What were you thinking?! Are you crazy?! If I _fail_ , you’re gonna lose your chance of becoming fighter class pilot!”

 

He took a step forward, making Shiro reflexively step back.

 

“You’re putting… your entire future… at risk! And for someone _you don’t even know_.”

 

 _‘My friend’_ Shiro mentally corrected him, unable to speak as he took another step back when Keith took another step forward, seething.

 

“And more than anything,“ Keith grabbed him, tightly gripping the front of his Garrison uniform and causing wrinkles on his collar. “Don’t make promises you can’t keep.”

 

Not knowing what to say, Shiro opted to keep his mouth shut. He did keep his eyes locked on Keith’s, determined not to break eye contact and take on everything the boy wanted to say. It was the first time he had ever seen Keith’s eyes so close. And what looked like plain dark eyes from far away, he realized for the first time was actually purple. And that night, they looked like they were glistening, clearly reflecting the stars in the cloudless sky.

 

When a drop trickled down one eye, it dawned on Shiro exactly why the boy’s eyes seemed to sparkle more than ever.

 

_‘Oh no.’_

 

Imaginary alarm bells went on his head, which became more frantic when another drop fell from the other eye.

 

_‘Oh no no no no no no no’_

What looked like a river of tears began flowing down the shorter boy’s cheeks as he sobbed uncontrollably, lithe shoulders visibly shaking.

 

“Maaatt. Matt! MATT!!!”

 

Shiro yelled helplessly when he finally remembered his friend was still there. Yet the bastard simply stood and watched until it came to this. Upon hearing the name, Keith looked Matt’s way. The tears didn’t help at all to douse the intense fire in his eyes.

 

“And you!!! I asked you for help but what did you do?! You encouraged him! You had _one job_!”

 

Matt could only let out a nervous laughter.

 

“Err, um, sorry guys! Katie’s calling! I’ll be back in a sec!!!”

 

Shiro couldn’t believe him.

 

“Wha… Your phone isn’t even ringing!”

 

Shiro yelled out after him, but his words fell on deaf ears as Matt bolted for the rooftop door.

 

 _‘Damn traitor…’_ He inwardly cursed.

 

He was totally lost. He had never made anyone cry before. He wasn’t trained for this kind of emergency, so he didn’t have any protocol to follow. And in situations like this, he figured there was really only one thing he could rely on. Guts.

 

Shiro extended his hand. Looking straight into Keith’s tear-filled eyes, he smiled as he softly said, “Whenever you’re ready, Keith.”

 

Keith looked away, as expected. He didn’t take his hand. But Shiro had no plans of giving up on him. He didn’t retreat his hand even when his arm was losing strength. And his patience paid off when Keith finally held his waiting hand.

 

As soon as their fingers touched, Shiro’s body moved on its own and he was powerless to stop it. He closed the distance between them and hugged Keith with his free arm, while keeping their holding hands safely tucked in between their chests.

 

He anticipated Keith to push him away, and even punch him, or scratch him like a threatened cat. Whatever it was, he was ready to take it. What he never expected was Keith closing his eyes and resting his head on his shoulder, his soft mullet strands giving his neck a feather-like brush. It even tickled slightly when Keith gave him a little nuzzle. That gesture made his heart start pounding, and he relished the feeling. The last time he felt this sensation was when he got his acceptance letter to the Galaxy Garrison a few years ago.

 

Shiro didn’t know how long they stayed in each other’s arms, nor did he care. Neither of them even pulled away when the rooftop door opened. Matt came in, completely unperturbed by what he walked in on. Knowing Matt, he was sure his friend never left. He was most likely behind the door all that time, and Shiro knew it was because he wanted to make sure they were okay. And also wanted to eavesdrop just as much, curious creature that he was.

 

As Keith lifted his face off his now wet shoulder, Matt opened his computer bag and took out a candy bar, which he offered to the younger boy whose eyes had become puffy.

 

“Peace offering?”

 

Keith punched him in the face. Shiro only laughed, thinking his friend totally deserved it.

 

“Damn, Keith… Your tiny hand sure packs a punch.”

 

“I’d shut up if I were you, Matt. While your other cheek is still unscathed.”

 

☆

 

“Damn, Keith. Your agility is a force to be reckoned with.” Matt grinned, panting, as he put his glasses back on. Both boys were down on the floor and just finished a sparring session while Shiro watched on the side.

 

A drop of sweat trickled down Keith’s temple as a soft smile graced his lips. “You just left a lot of openings. Your strikes are pretty strong, that’s why I have to avoid them.”

 

Shiro walked towards them and extended a hand to Keith, which the younger boy took, surrendering his weight as the older boy effortlessly pulled him up.

 

“Looks like you can go for another round.”

 

“You bet.” Keith smirked.

 

Matt slowly backed away from the two, fondly muttering “Uh oh. Here we go again.”

 

They each picked up a weapon from the training room’s stash, Shiro going for a Japanese uchigatana while Keith picked up a dagger close to the size of his mother’s knife. Shiro gestured for Keith to come at him, letting the younger boy deliver the first strike, which he easily dodged.

 

Shiro countered, but Keith blocked his sword’s strike with his dagger and used that split-second window to try and trip him. However, the older boy’s reflexes were fast and he jumped away just in time.

 

Keith saw this as his opportunity to charge. Shiro stayed put and went around him at the right timing, wrapped his arms around him from behind, then caught his right hand and tried to disarm him. But before he could do so, Keith tossed his dagger to his left hand and spun around to strike.

 

This caught the older boy off guard, giving Keith the chance to pin him to the ground.

 

“Whoa, K- Keith… you can fight with both hands?!” Shiro gasped, surprise written all over his face.

 

“Yup.” Keith grinned triumphantly.

 

“I see. Hup!”

 

With Keith still on top of him, Shiro got up, pulled Keith off him by the collar on the younger boy’s nape as if he was picking up a cat, and tossed him over to Matt.

 

“What the-?! Oof!” Matt caught the smaller boy just in time before they both fell to the floor. The two boys gave Shiro a droopy-eyed look.

 

“Bastard. You used me as a cushion, didn’t you.” Matt gave him a look of utter betrayal.

 

“Figured you’d catch him.” Shiro flashed an angelic smile.

 

“And Keith, pinning your opponents down won’t really work if you’re so sma… light.”

 

“You were going to say small just now.” Keith pouted.

 

Shiro chuckled. “But it’s just as Matt said. Keith, your lightning fast reflexes and agility are extremely rare. And you use it to your advantage wisely. However, sometimes you get careless. There are times you also need to pause, think, and focus. Remember what I told you- patience yields focus.”

 

“Got it.” Keith nodded.

 

“I was caught off guard too,” Shiro added. “I guess I got complacent there for a moment. Just when I thought I already know your fighting style, you pull another trick up your sleeve!”

 

Seeing how Shiro was grinning so proudly, Keith couldn’t help but smile back. It was an amazing feeling knowing that someone who was like a mentor to him was learning things from him as well. As Matt ruffled his hair, Keith chuckled. It had been so long since he had been with people he was comfortable being with, let alone laugh with.

 

That other night, surrounded by the stars in the Garrison’s rooftop, Keith felt unexplainable warmth that exploded in his chest like a supernova. Though he didn’t know what it was, he wondered if it would also become a black hole. The one thing he was certain of, however, was the force of gravity drawing him towards Shiro. And like all stellar objects surrounding the charismatic boy, he was helpless against its mighty pull.

 

☆

 

Shiro’s popularity soared even higher when the news came out that he and Matt were among the few candidates being considered to join Commander Samuel Holt in the first ever Kerberos Mission. It was a breakthrough in the history of space exploration. Even the loud cargo pilot, whose voice he could hear even though he sat five tables away in the commissary, was going on and on about how Shiro was his new hero.

 

Keith’s smile while reading the news about his friends was instantly wiped off his face when an email notification showed up on his Garrison tablet. The subject read: ‘Your flight simulation has been scheduled’. Keith struggled to finish the grilled chicken salad he could no longer taste.

 

He couldn’t remember how he got through his lectures for the rest of the week. He was just relieved it was all over and on Friday night and he found himself back on the rooftop with his friends. Matt, never one to read the atmosphere (or probably does but just completely ignores it, Keith mused) was the first one to bring up the flight simulation he had been dreading.

 

“So it’s next week, eh? Try not to think about it too much.”

 

“Easy for you to say” Keith mumbled, hugging his knees.

 

His telescope was already set up in its usual spot, but they had been there for the past couple of hours and he had yet to look into the eyepiece.

 

“Matt’s right, Keith.” Shiro, who was looking into the telescope, spoke. “We’ve already gone through the basics over and over. I have full confidence you’re good to go. The only thing you really need to work on is holding back.”

 

“Yeah…” Matt nodded pensively. “Sometimes you kind of just… dive in.”

 

“You’re a quick thinker, and your lightning-fast reflexes and agility are nothing less of a gift.”

 

Shiro sat down beside Keith then started ruffling his hair.

 

“But being patient is just as important. There are times you have to be able to focus to make it through certain situations. Like I always say, ‘patience yields focus’.”

 

“Patience… yields focus…” Keith echoed, letting each word sink in. Ever since Shiro taught him this phrase, it had saved him many times. 

 

“The only thing left for you to do now is relax. Clear your mind, ya’know? My dad always said that if you study every day for an exams, the day before you shouldn’t study at all. Go out, watch a movie, just chill out and have fun. And when it’s time, you can take on the test with a fresh mind.”

 

Matt reached for a bag of chips.

 

“Yeah,” Shiro agreed. “Why don’t you head to town tomorrow?”

 

“Town?” Keith frowned, looking at Shiro cluelessly.

 

“To town.” Shiro repeated.

 

“How do I get there?” Keith asked again, not really following what the older boy was saying.

 

Matt dropped the bag of chips. Keith reckoned it was a good thing he hadn’t opened it yet.

 

“Are you kidding?! Keith, how long have you been here?”

 

Matt asked, drawing his face close to Keith’s until their noses were just an inch apart.

 

“Uh… a year?”

 

“EXACTLY! WHAT- HOW- WHY HAVE YOU NEVER GONE OUT THERE?!”

 

Matt shook his shoulders vigorously.

 

He honestly had just never thought about it, he told Matt. Their schedules were already busy as it was. On top of that he was now taking extra lessons from Matt and Shiro whenever his seniors had time, to prepare for his first flight simulation. So whenever he had a bit of extra time, he spent most of it either training at the martial arts studio, going for a dip into the Garrison’s Olympic-sized pool, or going up to the roof with his telescope.

 

Not satisfied with his answer, Matt proceeded to playfully choke him.

 

“I guess we owe you an apology.” Matt said as he let him go. “We’ve been to town so many times. And it’s pretty small, so it doesn’t take long to get tired of it. I guess we just forgot, that’s why we never even thought of taking you there.”

 

“All right then, I guess it’s decided where we’re going tomorrow.” Shiro smirked.

 

With a goofy grin, Matt wiggled his eyebrows.

 

“It’s been a while since I’ve seen that look on his face. Ohhh this is gonna be fun.” Matt wrapped his arm around Keith’s shoulder.

 

☆

 

After their usual Saturday morning team building activities, they had lunch together. Keith went back to his dorm to change out of his cadet uniform. He wore a red top, dark pants, and sneakers that matched the color of his jacket. They agreed to meet up at the main building’s front entrance where Matt and Shiro were waiting for him, also dressed in casual clothes.

 

“Ready?”

 

“Yup!”

 

“All right then, let’s head out!”

 

“But the bus isn’t here yet.” Keith looked at them inquisitively. “The timetable says it won’t be here until half an hour later.”

 

“Surprise! Change of plans, we’re not taking the bus.”

 

Matt pulled out a set of keys from his pocket and spun the key ring around his finger, making the keys jingle.

  

“We’re borrowing my dad’s ride.”

 

“You can drive?” Keith asked, sounding impressed.

 

“Nope.” Matt said then tossed the keys over to Shiro.

 

“I can.” Shiro said, catching them.

 

To Keith, Shiro’s coolness points went up again.

 

They drove through the familiar endless stretch of golden brown sand that seemed to sparkle under the noontime sun. Filled with excitement on his first time going to town, Keith barely felt the heat. They pulled over at an open parking lot with a wide, transparent LCD display that was switched off at the moment. Wondering what it was for, the question must have shown on his face, because Matt told him he would find out later that night as they got off the sand buggy.

 

Their first stop was a building that only had one floor but a rather big perimeter. After registering at the front desk, the clerk- a young girl with a bored expression on her face blowing on a bubble gum- pointed towards the door on her right, not once looking up from her tablet. Matt and Shiro seemed familiar with the place, they knew just where to go and what to do. Behind the wooden door was a room filled with guns lined up on one side and black vests with target marks on the other.

 

“So Keith, have you ever played laser tag before?” Matt asked, to which Keith shook his head.

 

Shiro took one of the vests and motioned for Keith to come closer, helping him put it on as Matt explained the rules.

 

“So basically, stay hidden, don’t get hit, and take down your opponents” Keith digested.

 

After taking their guns, they went into the playing field and it was shooting time.

 

It took a bit of time for his eyes to adjust to the dark surroundings and neon lighting. But 15 minutes into the game Keith managed to take Matt out, which meant the next 45 minutes of their one hour time limit became a duel between him and Shiro. After exchanging a few shots, Keith smirked when he spotted Shiro. He felt like a young lion sneaking up on his prey as he got closer and closer. When he got an opening, he took the opportunity to shoot but Shiro dodged the shot just in time and then disappeared.

 

Keith hurriedly hid himself and surveyed his immediate circumference, grunting when he couldn’t find his target. He froze when he felt something poke his back.

 

“Patience yields focus, Keith.”

 

Those were the last words he heard before Shiro went “Blam!” and pulled the trigger, causing Keith’s laser gun to automatically shut off. He fought bravely. But he still lost the battle.

 

Their next stop was a basketball court, where they played three-on-three with Garrison instructors who happened to be in town as well. Playing the sport with Matt showed Keith just how much of a brilliant strategist he was. Shiro was the main point scorer, and what Keith lacked for in height, he more than made up for with his ball-stealing and agility.

 

“Keith, on your seven!”

 

“Shiro, on your three!”

 

It was a close fight, but they won by a hair’s breadth through a buzzer beater shot made by- to both his and Shiro’s surprise- Matt.

 

After that they went to the town’s shopping plaza where they split up, agreeing to meet back at the entrance in an hour. Keith saw Matt head straight for the vintage game shop, while Shiro went to the Asian market, saying something about wanting to check out some teas. Keith went to the store map to see what was in there. When nothing caught his attention, he decided to wander around to pass time. At the center of the plaza he saw a silver and black hoverbike. Reading through the specs, he found himself nodding. He could totally see why it was the perfect desert vehicle. A nostalgic smile graced his face as he thought back on his father’s hoverbike.

 

When the sun went down, the town’s lights also came on. In an age of modern street lighting, vintage lamp posts were hard to come by. Keith admired the sight as they walked along, and it reminded him of a certain character in the book about the little alien prince.

 

“Think we’ll see the Lamplighter here?” Shiro wiggled his eyebrows.

 

“Who knows” Keith chuckled.

 

The smell of barbecue wafted to his nose and when they turned at the next corner, making Keith’s eyes widen. Instead of lamp posts, what lit up this part of town were strings of light bulbs that ran from one pole to another, illuminating rows of little stalls that sold all sorts of street food. There were ribs, skewers, shawarma wraps, French fries, burritos, tacos, steamed buns, rice in a box, cotton candy, and even funnel cakes topped with fruits and ice cream dusted with powdered sugar. From savory to sweet, everything was there.

 

“You guys hungry for dinner?” Matt asked.

 

Keith’s stomach promptly growled, and he knew he didn’t need to answer. He punched Matt and Shiro on their shoulders when the older boys laughed. Keith tried everything he had never eaten before, earning surprised looks from his seniors. Matt looked like he was about to say something, but Shiro elbowed him before he could. Keith figured it was probably another joke about his small stature.

 

After eating their fill, they went back to the parking lot. They got on the buggy, but just when Keith was wondering why Shiro hadn’t started the engine yet, the LCD screen he saw earlier turned on. It first showed the trailer of an old sci-fi thriller before the actual movie began. Halfway through the opening scene, Keith heard Matt snoring behind him. Towards the end of the opening sequence, Shiro followed suit, mouth gaping open in the driver seat.

 

 _‘Old geezers…’_ Keith snorted.

 

But he soon ate his words when he felt Shiro gently shaking his shoulders to wake him up. The end credits rolling on the big screen meant that he, too, fell asleep at some point while the movie was playing. Mouth open, he felt a small drop of drool falling from the side of his mouth, which he coolly wiped with the back of his hand. While he was stretching like a cat, Shiro turned the ignition on.

 

“Right then, shall we head for our next stop?”

 

“Yeah!!!” Keith and Matt gleefully exclaimed together, punching the air above them.

 

Keith had no idea where they were going, but it was okay because he was with Shiro. He didn’t know when it started, but somewhere along the way, he had come to feel that as long as they were together he would never be afraid. He could go anywhere in the world- even the universe.

 

They pulled over by the edge of a cliff. Keith wondered what they were doing out there, but seeing the cosmic diamonds on a clear night, he figured they were probably there for their usual stargazing. He regretted not bringing his telescope, but they didn’t tell him this was part of the plan. In fact, they didn’t tell him _any_ of the plan. But Keith was having an amazing time so far, and he was grateful for it.

 

Their location provided a panoramic view of the landscape spread out before them, as well as an unobstructed view of the night sky. Not too far from the bottom of the cliff, he could make out the shape of what looked like a shack in the middle of nowhere. He couldn’t see clear enough as the cabin’s lights were off.

 

“Whoah, who could live by themselves all the way out here?” Matt spoke beside him. Looks like he also spotted it.

 

“Someone tough, that’s for sure. It’s not easy living out in the desert, especially if you’re all by yourself.” Shiro replied.

 

Keith wordlessly nodded, then shifted his gaze to the sky once more.

 

_‘Wait, did a star just fly by?’_

Keith rubbed his eyes, thinking he was seeing things. But the flash of another star zooming by told him otherwise. And then there was another. And another. And before long, the frequency and number just intensified.

 

“Wow…”

 

That was the only word Keith could coherently think of at the moment, as he looked up at the meteor shower with wide-eyed wonder.

 

“Look at his face” He could hear Matt saying to Shiro. “Told ya he’s gonna love it.”

 

When Shiro didn’t say anything, Matt glanced sideways and saw why. Shiro’s eyes were fixed on Keith with the softest expression on his face. Matt just rolled his eyes at his friend.

 

 _‘I can see why though’_ He thought fondly. Seeing Keith’s reaction was enough to tell him their mission to cheer him up was a huge success.

 

The back rests all reclined, the three boys lay down on the buggy as they marveled at the cosmic phenomenon. Keith put his hand up.

 

“I wonder if you can catch a falling star…” He mumbled absently, earning chuckle from Matt.

 

“Why would you want to catch one?” Shiro asked in a genuinely curious tone.

 

“When my mom left me, I asked my dad where she went. He just smiled and said she went back to the stars. So I always thought that what if… What if falling stars were people coming back to Earth?”

 

“I’m… sorry to hear that, Keith.” Shiro looked at him with sadness in his eyes.

 

Matt stopped laughing and became quiet. For about one second. Then said, with a straight face, “Was she also an astroexplorer?”

 

“I- I don’t know. Every time I asked my dad about her he would just have this pained smile…” Keith’s voice trailed off as he inwardly added, _‘And it hurt to see him like that, so I stopped asking.’_

 

It was long past midnight by the time the meteor shower considerably subsided, though they still saw a few that randomly flew by on the drive back to the Galaxy Garrison. It was already lights out when they got back to the main building, so they quietly made their way to their respective dorms. Before parting ways Shiro called out to Keith.

 

“Hey, Keith”

 

“Yeah?”

 

“You…” He paused hesitantly, shook his head then continued. “It’s better if I tell you after the flight simulation test. So give it all you’ve got, okay buddy?”

 

Keith felt his lips quirking up into a smile.

 

“Yeah.”

 

☆

 

Standing in front of the simulator’s doors, surrounded by other cadets who were going to do their simulation tests and instructors who were there to give grades, Keith was so out of it he couldn’t even relish the excitement of suiting up for the first time. He did the only thing he could think of to calm his nerves. He breathed in. Then breathed out.

 

“You okay?” Matt asked beside him, putting his hand on his shoulder.

 

Keith nodded stiffly. Even in his current state of mind he was keenly aware of how robotic his head’s movement was. When it was their turn to go in, Shiro stepped in front of him and temporarily blocked him from the door.

 

Keith gave him a questioning look, which the older boy responded to by raising his hand towards him. Smiling, Keith took it and surrendered his entire weight- both physical and mental- into Shiro’s embrace as the older boy’s free arm settled on his back. At the same time, Keith’s free hand also softly lay on top of the taller boy’s broad back. He rested his head on Shiro’s shoulder, their locked hands tucked safely between their chests, as relief washed over him, making all his worries, hesitations, and fears melt away.

 

 Keith felt that flying came naturally to him as soon as they took off. Before his mind could even process what to do logically, he found that instinct was already taking over. The entire flight was smooth sailing, and he was almost sad to hear when Shiro said they were close to their destination, until a hailing message came from another aircraft.

 

Keith knew it was their duty to answer a distress call from fellow astroexplorers, but the problem was the location it was coming from- right smack in the middle of an asteroid belt. Matt immediately expressed concern.

 

“Not only are the asteroids dangerously close to each other, leaving next to no room for maneuvering, but their movements are also extremely unpredictable, making it hard to plan a safe route.”

 

“But it’s a distress call, Matt. We can’t ignore it.” Shiro said, visually examining the stream of celestial rocks.

 

“This is bad, I’ve heard of this simulation before. Statistically, 98% of the unlucky cadets who randomly got this test broke their wings.” Matt bit his lip.

 

“And the other 2%?” Shiro asked hopefully.

 

“Passed out during their simulations.”

 

“Not helping, Matt!” Keith yelled exasperatedly.

 

Slowing down to a cruise, he closed his eyes for a second, took a deep breath, and muttered to himself.

 

“Patience yields focus.”

 

The words made Shiro’s head reflexively jerk towards him, before his face broke into a proud smile. When Keith opened his eyes, Shiro and Matt saw the purple orbs were filled with resolve.

 

“We’re not leaving them alone. Hang on!!!”

 

Keith pushed the levers forward, seamlessly moving the spacecraft in between asteroids. After successfully retrieving the stranded spacecraft, the simulator came to a halt. The screen in front of him flashed green letters that spelled two words: Simulation Passed.

 

When the three boys came out of the simulation room, there was a moment of deathly silence but was immediately followed by deafening roars, applause, and even whistles.

 

☆

 

Shiro was sitting on their usual spot at the edge, in front of the rows of solar panels. Their usual rooftop rendezvous were on Fridays, which explained why Matt wasn’t there, but Shiro had told him there was something he wanted to say.

 

“Hey there, star pilot.” Shiro looked over his shoulder, beaming.

 

 

“What’t up with that?” Keith asked, chuckling, as he sat down beside him.

 

“Keith, about today’s simulation. Remember when you asked me why I did this for you?” Shiro looked up at the sky.

 

“Yeah…”

 

Keith scowled at the memory of also crying shortly after that.

 

_‘What the hell, self. That was so embarrassing…’_

 

“I didn’t tell you the answer back then, because at that state, I knew you wouldn’t listen. I knew you wouldn’t believe me.”

 

He shifted his eyes towards Keith and locked their gazes as he continued.

 

“Now that you’ve passed, I think- I _hope_ \- that you would hear me out. And believe me.”

 

He then reached out and, without any hesitation, touched Keith’s face, lightly rubbing his thumb against his cheek.

 

“Because you’re worth it.”

 

That night, with the countless stars as his witness, Keith made a silent vow. If Shiro ever needed him, at that time, he will be the one to come save him. As many times as it took, just as Shiro had always done for him.

 

☆

 

The rest of the year passed by uneventfully until one night, during their usual stargazing nights, Keith heard running footsteps coming from the stairs leading to the rooftop’s door. He considered grabbing his telescope, which was thankfully still in its case, to hide. Neither Shiro nor Matt had ever sprinted up the stairs before. He considered the possibility that it was someone else until the door burst open and Shiro came dashing in. Before Keith could ask what was going on, he found himself lifted up in the air and spun around.

 

“Woo-hoo! I did it!!!”

 

Keith looked down at Shiro’s blissful face with a very confused expression. Still shocked from the unexpected turn of events, he owlishly blinked.

 

“Uh… did what?”

 

“Woops. Sorry.”

 

Shiro put him down, but still refused to let him go. Shaking him rather vigorously, he broke the news to Keith with a thousand megawatt smile.

 

“It’s official! I’m going to Kerberos, Keith! Matt and I were chosen!!! I still can’t believe it, I’m going to fly out there!” Shiro raised his hand, palm wide open and facing the sky, eyes filled with undeniable joy.

 

Keith felt his happiness spreading towards him. This was what Shiro wanted all his life, and he was finally making his dreams come true. A small part of his heart panged at the thought of being separated from him for a long time, but that was completely dominated by the sheer delight at seeing the look on his dear friend’s face.

 

“And then when I come back…” Shiro’s eyes turned from the sky to him, before he pressed his palm over the back of Keith’s hand, interlaced their fingers then raised their hands together, palms facing the sky. “We’ll fly out there together, buddy. I promise.”

 

“I’ll be waiting.” Keith smiled up at the stars, as if asking them to take care of his friend out there.

 

☆

 

As Shiro and Matt became a lot busier with preparations for takeoff, and Keith as well with his hectic schedule of up-skill trainings and the increased workload that came with being the top pilot of his batch, the time they spent together considerably lessened, but that also made it more precious.

 

But the most unforgettable memory that Shiro held closest to his heart was when he took Keith to the launch pad, brimming with excitement as he told him everything about the space shuttle he was going to fly. Days, months, and even a year after takeoff, thinking back on it still made him smile.

 

The Holts had long finished taking pictures. Commander Holt’s wife had invited Shiro to join them for their last family dinner before takeoff, which he politely declined, saying he wouldn’t want to intrude on their family time. Colleen kindly insisted, but Shiro refused again, saying he, too, had someone he wanted to spend his last few hours on Earth with.

 

As he said those words he turned towards Keith, who was absently looking up at the space shuttle but soon looked his way as if the boy had felt his gaze. Keith smiled bitterly, and Shiro felt as if an invisible knife had pierced his chest. Mrs. Holt nodded and said she understood with a rueful smile.

 

“Come on Keith, don’t give me that face. It makes it that much harder to leave.”

 

“What face?” Keith tilted his head to one side, then looked up at the space vehicle again.

 

The sinking sun had splashed the entire launch area with an orange tone. Standing close to the towering rocket made Keith seem all that smaller. Shiro mused that the mere sight of Keith craning his neck to look up at it made even his own neck feel sore.

 

“So you’re flying this thing tomorrow, huh. I wonder what it’s like out there.” The younger cadet spoke, his voice wistful.

 

A thought suddenly crossed his mind. With a playful smile, Shiro stood in front of him.

 

“Begin launch in T minus 3 seconds.”

 

“Wha-?”

 

“Three, two, one!”

 

He swiftly bent down and wrapped his arms around the shorter boy’s thighs then lifted him up. Smiling up at Keith, he said “You’d be defying gravity. Just like this.”

 

“You never asked for permission to launch. Sir.” Keith scowled.

 

Shiro’s soft, hearty laughter broke the silence of nothing but barren land around them.

 

With a naughty smirk of his own, Keith looked at Shiro with a childlike sparkle in his amethyst eyes, making him seem even younger. The loose strands of dark hair falling down his face didn’t cast any shadow on his boyish smile. “Feels nice up here. Let’s see how long you can keep it up.”

 

“Challenge accepted.” Shiro smirked back. He had full confidence in his stamina.

 

Shiro could tell there was something in his purple eyes that the mullet-haired lad didn’t want to put into words. But his roundabout way of telling Shiro he wanted to be held for just a little bit longer was the closest way he could come to being willful, and Shiro was more than happy to oblige.

 

 Even without realizing it himself, Keith ‘s body was simply asking for a hug. And hugs were something Shiro knew the boy needed when he was scared, uncertain, and lonely. In front of the first space shuttle he was going to pilot, Shiro silently promised that when he comes back, he will teach Keith that it’s okay to be a little more selfish. And be a little more honest.

 

From the first time he held Keith in his arms up on the Garrison’s rooftop, Shiro knew that he had already lowered his walls and let him in. But for reasons he himself couldn’t understand, the more faces he saw of the younger pilot, the more he wanted to see. It was almost as if he was getting greedy and kept wanting more and more.

 

Everyone knew Keith was exceptionally brilliant at flying. They had also seen him laugh freely at funny jokes. Both he and Matt had seen Keith look with wide-eyed wonder and youthful innocence at the stars, and also knew his body was ridiculously tiny for someone who ate the amount of food Shiro and Matt would never be able to finish together. But there were also things only Shiro knew.

 

He was the only one who knew that Keith had different smiles- one he showed only to Matt, another he showed only when talking about his classmates, especially the loud and lanky one as well as the big and smart one (whose names he couldn’t even remember apparently), and his sweetest smile of all… the one he showed only to Shiro. He was the only one who had ever seen Keith cry. He was the only one who could touch Keith without making him tense or uncomfortable. And above all he was the only one whose intimacy Keith reciprocated.

 

This level of trust was something Shiro would normally consider a big responsibility, but with Keith, it felt more like a treasure he wanted to cherish, take very good care of, and have for as long as he could keep it.

 

Keith was kind. Shiro knew he would never let him see that while he felt extremely happy for Shiro’s dreams coming true, he was also sad at being left behind. But what Keith didn’t know was that it was the same for Shiro, too. As much as he was besides himself with joy on his first ever mission as a space pilot, he also couldn’t stand the thought of being separated from the friend who had already taken up the biggest space in his heart.

 

Shiro never knew it was possible for anyone to become so special and even be more important than family. And yet here he was, spending the best day of his life with Keith. If that day was going to be his most treasured memory, he wanted no one else to share it with but the one right there in his arms.

 

Making sure not to drop his precious cargo, Shiro tightened his grasp on Keith. He was suddenly filled with the urge to hold him close- as close to him as he could. Chest bursting with so many emotions all at once, his face contorted into a frown as he hugged him tight.

 

“Whoa! Shi… Shiro?”

 

He couldn’t see what face Keith was making and he didn’t have the strength to look up. He didn’t have to, because the next moment he felt Keith’s hand on his head, gently caressing his hair as if calming a distressed child. Growing up in a Japanese household strongly ingrained in him that showing any sort of emotion was a sign of weakness. So it was a wonder how Keith could easily make him feel that it was okay not just to show vulnerability, but also draw strength from someone else.

 

But like his favorite stories, all good things must come to an end. Shiro couldn’t help but wonder if his departure, too, would become the end of his story with Keith. And the memory of the pilot who lost his beloved little prince in the desert floated to his mind.

 

☆

 

Between Keith’s demanding Garrison training and the paid jobs he took from the instructors and staff, the year went by so fast. Keith managed to save up enough money to modify his father’s hoverbike as he pleased, following his footsteps in customizing the telescope.

 

One night, before turning off the silver lamp on his bedside table, his eyes fell on his old book. A memory from the last night he saw Shiro floated in his mind.

 

_“Just remember Keith, be careful not to let any snakes in the desert bite you while I’m gone, okay?”_

_When it showed on Keith’s face that he didn’t get it, Shiro simply told him that he didn’t want Keith to go back to the stars while ‘the Pilot was out there flying his spacecraft’._

_Finally getting the reference, Keith broke into laughter._

_“Don’t worry, I’m not going anywhere. Besides, I’m not a prince. And definitely not an alien!”_

 

Thinking back on it made him chuckle. Despite being a serious student most of the time, Shiro was also a dork capable of coming up with the most ridiculous lines. He reached for the book for some light reading before going to bed.

 

The next morning, while looking at the calendar, he realized that the Kerberos team’s return coincided with an annual meteor shower. So he put his dad’s hoverbike to good use by scouting the desert area for the perfect viewing spot, and found one in just a few days.

 

With a couple more spins of the knob, he managed to angle the old telescope in the position he wanted. Pushing his dark fringe that had grown slightly longer to the side, he looked into the eyepiece to check. What he saw made him smile.

 

“This is perfect.”

 

He then disassembled the telescope, put all the parts back in their proper slots on its case, folded up the tattered picnic mat then shoved everything in his backpack. He got on his hoverbike and surveyed the place one last time. He looked pleased.

 

“Shiro’s gonna love this place. Can’t wait to show it to him when he comes back.” And he drove off.

 

When he got back to the Galaxy Garrison, he saw the entire cadet population rushing towards the audiovisual room. News reporters were gathered around the podium, cameras flashing and films rolling as Iverson spoke on the microphone. When he finished his speech and left the room, Officer Hys took over to entertain the media’s queries.

 

What Keith saw on the big silver screen made him loosen his hold on his telescope. It dropped on the floor with a loud thud. Shaking his head in disbelief, he bolted for the staff room. Pilot error. Those two words didn’t make any sense. There was no way in hell. Accident caused by human error was just not possible. Not with that kind of team, more so not with that kind of pilot. And they weren’t going to fool him.

 

What took place in the instructors’ room all happened so fast. All he asked was a simple question. But as soon as Iverson opened his mouth, he saw red. The next thing he knew he was dragged by two security guards by the arm all the way back to his dorm and told to pack his belongings.

 

His legs felt like lead, and his body seemed like it was moving on autopilot as he made his way through crowds of whispering cadets. He exited the main doors of his home for the past few years for the last time. As he went to get his hoverbike parked behind the main building, he saw the same security guards from earlier, one of them carrying a small box of personal belongings towards the dumpster. His eyes widened when he saw the name on it, and he sprinted towards them to take it.

 

“What the…! What are you doing?! Let go!!!” The guard yelled.

 

“Give it to me!”

 

“What?! It’s not yours, cadet. I said let go!”

 

“No!!! Give it to me!”

 

Keith pulled with all his might, but the guard stubbornly refused. When Keith didn’t budge the other security guy began punching him. Keith didn’t give in. There was no way he was going to let them throw Shiro’s stuff away.

 

When Keith successfully snatched it from the guard, he got annoyed and started punching the small cadet too. Now there were two of them hitting him, but he kept on fiercely hugging the box, trying to protect it from them.

 

“Ow! What the…”

 

From the corner of his eye he saw two boys, one lanky and the other one large, throw stones at the officers before running away, prompting the men to chase after them. Starting to feel numb, Keith’s back hit the dumpster and he slid down until he was sitting on the ground. Weak and feeling pain all over from just having been beaten up, he channeled all his remaining strength into his arms, holding the small box close.

 

When they were far enough, Keith pushed himself up, fiercely holding on to Shiro’s box as he made his way to his hoverbike. He didn’t spare a glance back at the Galaxy Garrison as he drove out into the desert.

 

Without a destination in mind, he drove on aimlessly for days until one night, he felt a strange energy drawing him to an area surrounded by caves and massive boulders. He got off his hoverbike, sat on the ground. Holding Shiro’s favorite shirt close, taking in his scent that still lingered on the fabric, he looked up at the clear night sky.

 

A shooting star flew by, followed by another, and then another. His gaze flared up as he felt something within him snap.

 

He screamed.

 

And screamed.

 

And screamed.

 

Even when his throat started to hurt and his voice grew hoarse, he continued to yell at the top of his lungs until he no longer had the strength to. But the pain didn’t lessen one bit.

 

“You already took my mom.”

 

Looking up at the sky, at the stars that he could no longer see with his vision clouded by all the tears streaming down his face, he begged down on his knees.

 

“Give him back to me.”

 

But the stars just quietly twinkled on as they always did since the beginning of time.

 

That night, when Keith finally passed out, tiny lights that looked liked blue fireflies came flying up from the ground. They danced around his limp figure before gathering close to him, like a mother cradling a baby close to her bosom, comforting him and protecting him in his sleep.

 

He didn’t know at that time that his plea did not fall on deaf ears. And that inside those very caves were ancient writings that would lead him to the one he wanted to see. For the falling star he was destined to catch has been foretold long, long ago.

 

**The Beginning**


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